Cigar handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

Cigars issuing three abreast from a pressing machine are split into three laterally spaced horizontal conveyors, collected into groups, fed through a head-punching apparatus, and thence fed towards a wrapping machine.

finndher ell nl. 1451 ,llnn. 25, W7

[ CllGAR HANDLHNG APPARATUS {56] References Cited [72] Inventors: RobertC. Sundberg; William Carlson; UNITED STATES PATENTS mmplm Jackmvme,3,6l0,254 10 1971 Shellenberg et al. ..131 79 [73] Assignee: .lno. llll.Swisher & Son, lne., Jacksonville, 3,209,761 l0/1965 Craig 1 a1 1/ 2 XFla. 2,102,248 12/1937 Yeakel 198/190 X 1,955,959 4/1934 HarnischfegerCt 411. 198/190 UX [221 Aug-3,197 2,800,! 33 7/1957 Sundberg ..131 254[21] App]. No: 60,5413

Primary Examiner-Samuel Koren Assistant Examiner-11. F. Pitrelli [52]11.1.8. C1. ..l3l/82, 131/25, 131/83 A, A j H Litfl 198/20 C, 198/190[51 Int. Cl. v ..A24c01/38,A24f 13/24 [57] ABSTRACT [58] FieldOlSQflT/Cll ..l31/92,82,83 A,25,254;

[93/20 C, 190 Cigars issuing three abreast from a pressing machine aresplit into three laterally spaced horizontal conveyors, collected intogroups, fed through a head-punching apparatus, and thence fed towards awrapping machine.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAMES I972 PRESET COUNTER SHEEI '4BF 4 RAM B CHAIN PUSHER HEAD PUNCHER PLUNGER ClGAlll HANDlLllNGAPPARATUS FlELD OF INVENTION Tobacco; Cigar and Cigarette making.

PRIOR ART Pietruska US. Pat. No. 3,225,774 Pressing Machines; SundbergUS. Pat. Nos. 2,800,133 and 2,854,986 l-lead Punchers; and Colton-VoiceCellophane Machines, e.g., lfath US. Pat. No. 2,044,947.

OBJECTS Until comparatively recent times, cigars, after being made on amachine and color sorted, were place in what are known in the trade asdummy boxes, wherein they were retained under compression which gavethem a somewhat square shape. Also, during this time the cigar pastesets so that they could be handling without appreciable danger ofdamage. After remaining under compression for about 24 hours, thecigars, for example, 13 to a layer, were stacked into the hopper of ahead punching machine (for example, see the Sundberg patents, supra).Rows of cigars ejected from the head puncher onto a walker" conveyorwere fed to a banding and wrapping machine, for example, what is knownas a C01- ton-Voice Cellophane machine; and the wrapped and bandedcigars were finally packaged. Thus, although the making and wrappingprocesses were continuous, the dummy box step and the introduction ofthe cigars into the hopper of the head puncher were essentially batchprocess steps, so that the flow of cigars through the plant wascontinuous-batch-continuous.

The elimination of the dummy box step came about through the advent ofcigar pressing machines, for example, see the Pietruska patent (supra).In one commercial form of the Pietruska machine, pressed cigars come offthe output end in three columns, from which they were gathered andplaced into the hoppers of the head punchers, the timing of the machinesbeing such that one cigar pressing machine can feed three head punchersand three Cellophane machines. While one at tendant can operate aCellophane machine and handle wrapped cigars issuing therefrom,additional labor was needed to transport the cigars from the presser andload the head punchers. Hence, the savings in the nearly-complete conversion to continuous flow were not as great as anticipated.

The object now is to provide cigar handling machinery, including a novelconveying and feeding system between a presser and a head puncher, inwhich the handling of cigars, from the time they leave a pressingmachine to the time they leave a Cellophane machine, is entirelyautomated.

One problem previously encountered in attempting to accomplish the aboveobjective is that, if the three columns of cigars issuing from apressing machine are conveyed directly forward to head puncher andwrapping or Cellophane machines, the columns are sufficiently closetogether that there was insufficient room for the head puncher andwrapping machines, and for the attendants to work around them. Oneattempt to divide the cigars in the columns and to spread them laterallyinvolved a so-called dealer, via which a first of three successivecigars was fed forwardly, a second was fed laterally in one direction,and a third was fed laterally in the opposite direction. However, thisproved to be unduly complex and costly. According to this invention, thesame ob jectives are accomplished in a much simpler manner.

These and other objects will be apparent from the followingspecification and drawings, in which:

FlG. l is a plan view of the cigar handling apparatus, including theoutput end of a typical cigar pressing machine and three head punchers;

Fit 2 is a perspective view of the output end of a pressing machine, theforward conveyor and the two lateral conveyors;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the infeed and outfeed to and from ahead puncher; and,

FIG. t is a diagram illustrating the control relationships of thecyclically-operating components.

Referring first to H655. l and 3, the output end of a Pietruska cigarpressing machine 12 delivers three abreast so that they form threeseries of cigars which will be designated 4a, 4b, dc, to differentiatethem according to the series in which they reside. Throughout thespecification, the suffix letters a, b and c will also be used todifferentiate similar components according to which line or series theyare in. These cigars are to be fed to one of three head punchingmachines 6a, 6b, tic, from whence they are fed to Colton-VoiceCellophane machines (not shown) in which they are wrapped, and usuallybanded also. While the head punching machines are shown in parallelpositions in FllG. ll, it should be understood that they usually wouldbe located in cascade or offset relationship so as to provide betteraccess to them, and to provide more room for the Cellophane machines.

The details of the pressing machine It are not pertinent, except to notethat the pressed cigars are gripped between spiced bars 8 on a chainconveyor, which bars spread as the chains pass over sprockets, and thecigars are ejected by pushers, not shown. Likewise, the details of theCellophane machines are not relevant, other than that, in the presentinstance, cigars are fed to them by walker conveyors, i.e., those havingtwo flat fixed bars upon which cigars rest, and one or more oscillatingbars which lift the cigars up and move them along, step-by-step. Aplunger feedls an endmost cigar off the end of this conveyor into theturret of the Cellophane machine. Assuming, for example, 13 cigars areto be simultaneously head-punched, a cycle counter provides a controlsignal each 13th stroke of the plunger. The subject matter of thisinvention starts with the provision of three platforms l0, l2 and 14provided with riblike runners 116 which support the cigars ejectedthereon and which reduce friction and facilitate sliding of the cigarsthereover. l-lold-downs are provided to prevent the cigars from pilingup or rotting under one another. Two cigars can reside at one time onthe end platforms l0 and M and more, for example, four in number, on themiddle platform; and when a new cigar is pushed onto a platform, theoutermost one is crowded oh.

Referring now to the end column of cigars la and dc, when the outermostof these is crowded off a platform, it slides onto a lateral conveyor20a or 20c, each of which are formed by a pair of rubber belts 22,shaped in cross section like O-rings, and spaced slightly apart to forma valley in which cigars rest. Lateral conveyors are continuously drivenin opposite directions by motors 24in, 24c. At the: ends of the runs oflateral conveyors 20a or 201:, the cigars flu or Ac feed onto forwardlymoving end conveyor 26a or 261:; and when the cigars 4b in the middlecolumn are crowded off their platform l2, they slide onto a forwardlymoving middle conveyor 26b.

Conveyors 2641,2t3b, 26c are essentially the same, except for length ofrun, and are constituted by three chains 23 (timing chains were found tobe satisfactory) which run over conventional sprockets and arecontinuously driven by individual motors, not shown. The relativetimings of the components are such that groups of cigars, generallyindicated at 30a, 30b, 30c, accumulate at the ends ofconveyors 26a, 26b,26c.

At the end of the runs of conveyors 26a, 26b 26:: are dams 32 againstwhich the leading cigars in groups 30a, 30b, 30c engage. Referringparticularly to FIG. 3, dam 32 is fixed across the end of conveyor 26a,and it also slidably supports one side of a ram assembly indicatedgenerally at Ma, 34b or Me, each of which assemblies includes acrosshead 36 and an air actuated piston 38. Each time piston 38 isextended until its head 36 engages a stop 39, it pushes cigars in agroup Ella, 30b or 300 off the end of a conveyor 26a, 26b or Zhc into areceiving station, indicated generally at Ma, ltlb, or dtlc, which is atthe start of a pusher-conveyor i211, 412b or Alflc.

lEach pusher-conveyor includes an endless chain 44 with at tachrnents asso spaced as to accommodate a group of cigars predetermined in number,such as l3, between them. Chain M is normally stationary, but with eachactuation by its driver (not shown) is advanced a predetermineddistance, i.e., the distance required to advance a group of'cigars fromreceiving station 400 to the head puncher station 47a. Optionally, aholddown roller 41 may be used to prevent the cigars from buckling upwhen the pusher-conveyor advances, which advance is relatively rapid.

With each advance of pusher-conveyor 42a, 42b, 42c, a group of cigars ismoved to a head punching station 47a, 47b or 47c beneath a clamp bar 48of the head puncher 6a, 6b or 60 whereupon the clamp bar lowers, locatornozzles 50 and hot rotating needles advance to hold and form holes inthe cigar heads, and then retract. Then ,clamp bar raises andpusher-conveyor 42 advances so as to move the group of head-punchedcigars forwardly from the head punching station and onto thewalker-conveyor (not shown) which feeds the cigars to the Cellophanemachine (also not shown). While this mechanism has been described asused to handle cigars from a Pietruska cigar pressing machine to threeColton- Voice Cellophane machines, it is adaptable for use in connectionwith other pressing and wrapping or packing machinery, and it can alsobe used with various types of head punchers.

FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows the chain of controls for the cyclicallyoperating components. Operating with the plunger of the Cellophanemachine is a preset counter. The lines designated A, B and C" indicatethe succession of control signals from the preset counter. Assuming thatthe head puncher 6a is arranged to punch a bank of 13 cigars each cycleof operation, a preset counter is set to issue a control signal withevery 13th stroke of the feed plunger. During the interval required for13 strokes of the feed plunger, and due to the speeds of the presser 2,lateral conveyors a, 20c and the forward conveyors 26a, 26b, 26c, a rowof 13 cigars will have accumulated in groups of 30a, 30b and 30c. Inactual practice (by temporary stoppage of the Cellophane machine or bytemporarily disabling the preset counter) a row of considerably morethan [3 cigars is accumulated in groups 30a, 30b and 300; and if largerstoppage of the Cellophane machine is desired, and if the buildup ofcigars on a conveyor,'such as 26b, becomes excessive, they can bediverted to a table 54a, 54b or 54c. With the 13th stroke of the infeedplunger, pusherconveyor 42a advances a group of 13 cigars to the headpuncher, and the latter starts its cycle of operation and ram assembly34:: moves forwardly to deposit a row of cigars into station 4011, andthen the ram assembly immediately retracts. The succeeding l3 cigarsaccumulate against dam 32 while the head puncher completes its cycle ofoperation. When the next group of cigars is advanced to the head punchstation, those cigars whose heads have been punched are advanced by thepusher-conveyor onto the walker (not shown).

lclaim:

1. Apparatus for handling cigars discharged from a presser, whereinnormally three cigars abreast oriented end-to-end are dischargedgenerally horizontally away therefrom in a direction transverse to theirlengths, said apparatus comprising first, second and third horizontalplatforms disposed sideby-side for receiving said cigars depositedthereon by said presser, said platforms having free edges disposed awayfrom said presser and off of which a previously deposited cigar isforced when another cigar is deposited by said presser, first and secondcontinuously running horizontal conveyors having input ends disposedadjacent the free edges of the first and third platforms for receivingcigars therefrom, said first and second conveyors running in oppositedirections lengthwise of the cigars deposited thereon and having outputends which are remote from said platforms, third, fourth and fifthcontinuously running horizontal conveyors extending parallel to oneanother and having an input end respectively disposed for receivingcigars from the output end of the first horizontal conveyor, the secondplatform, and the output end of the second horizontal conveyor, each ofsaid third, fourth and fifth conveyors havin associated with the outputends thereof a dam against w lCh a group of cigars normally accumulate,

means providing a receiving station laterally adjacent the output end ofeach of said dams,

a head puncher providing a head punch station along a path extendingfrom each receiving station,

a ram for forcing groups of cigars from adjacent each dam to eachrespective receiving station,

pusher means for pushing groups of cigars along said path from eachreceiving station to each head punch station, and means for sequentiallyoperating said ram, said pusher means, and said head puncher.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, said platforms having ridges onthe upper surface thereof extending in a direction transverse to thefree edges thereof for reducing friction of cigars sliding thereacross.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1, said first and second horizontalconveyors each comprising a pair of endless belts generally circular incross-section and disposed adjacent one another to provide a trough forcradling said cigars.

4. Apparatus for handling cigars discharged from a presser, whereincigars are discharged generally horizontally away therefrom in adirection transverse to their lengths, said apparatus comprising aplatform for receiving said cigars deposited thereon by said presser, v

said platform having a free edge disposed away from said presser and offof which a previously deposited cigar is forced when another cigar isdeposited by said presser,

continuously running horizontal conveyor means having an input enddisposed adjacent the free edge of the platform for receiving cigarstherefrom, and having associated with an output end thereof a damagainst which a group of cigars normally accumulate,

means providing a receiving station laterally adjacent the output end ofsaid dam,

a head puncher providing a head punch station along a path extendingfrom the receiving station,

a ram for forcing groups of cigars from adjacent said dam to saidreceiving station,

pusher means for pushing groups of cigars along said path from saidreceiving station to said head punch station,

and means for sequentially operating said ram, said pusher means, andsaid head puncher.

5. The combination claimed in claim 4, said platform having ridges onthe upper surface thereof extending in a direction transverse to thefree edges thereof for reducing friction of cigars sliding thereacross.

1. Apparatus for handling cigars discharged from a presser, whereinnormally three cigars abreast oriented end-to-end are dischargedgenerally horizontally away therefrom in a direction transverse to theirlengths, said apparatus comprising first, second and third horizontalplatforms disposed side-byside for receiving said cigars depositedthereon by said presser, said platforms having free edges disposed awayfrom said presser and off of which a previously deposited cigar isforced when another cigar is deposited by said presser, first and secondcontinuously running horizontal conveyors having input ends disposedadjacent the free edges of the first and third platforms for receivingcigars therefrom, said first and second conveyors running in oppositedirections lengthwise of the cigars deposited thereon and having outputends which are remote from said platforms, third, fourth and fifthcontinuously running horizontal conveyors extending parallel to oneanother and having an input end respectively disposed for receivingcigars from the output end of the first horizontal conveyor, the secondplatform, and the output end of the second horizontal conveyor, each ofsaid third, fourth and fifth conveyors having associated with the outputends thereof a dam against which a group of cigars normally accumulate,means providing a receiving station laterally adjacent the output end ofeach of said dams, a head puncher providing a head punch station along apath extending from each receiving station, a ram for forcing groups ofcigars from adjacent each dam to each respective receiving station,pusher means for pushing groups of cigars along said path from eachreceiving station to each head punch station, and means for sequentiallyoperating said ram, said pusher means, and said head puncher.
 2. Thecombination claimed in claim 1, said platforms having ridges on theupper surface thereof extending in a direction transverse to the freeedges thereof for reducing friction of cigars sliding thereacross. 3.The combination claimed in claim 1, said first and second horizontalconveyors each comprising a pair of endless belts generally circular incross section and disposed adjacent one another to provide a trough forcradling said cigars.
 4. Apparatus for handling cigars discharged from apresser, wherein cigars are discharged generally horizontally awaytherefrom in a direction transverse to their lengths, said apparatuscomprising a platform for receiving said cigars deposited thereon bysaid presser, said platform having a free edge disposed away from saidpresser and off of which a previously deposited cigar is forced whenanother cigar is deposited by said presser, continuously runninghorizontal conveyor means having an input end disposed adjacent the freeedge of the platform for receiving cigars therefrom, and havingassociated with an output end thereof a dam against which a group ofcigars normally accumulate, means providing a receiving stationlaterally adjacent the output end of said dam, a head puncher providinga head punch station along a path extending from the receiving station,a ram for forcing groups of cigars from adjacent said dam to saidreceiving station, pusher means for pushing groups of cigars along saidpath from said receiving station to said head punch station, and meansfoR sequentially operating said ram, said pusher means, and said headpuncher.
 5. The combination claimed in claim 4, said platform havingridges on the upper surface thereof extending in a direction transverseto the free edges thereof for reducing friction of cigars slidingthereacross.